January 13, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I can’t even believe that I’m in the space to be able to know that Bobbie Flay’s pizza dough recipe is not the best. I can’t even believe that I am in the space that I considered buying more than bread flour versus 00 flour in order to make a better pizza dough. That we discussed with my daughter different rise times of pizza dough, and that as she explained to me as we debated a 1 hour rise time versus a 24 hour rise time. My tween explained to me “a longer rise time allows the ingredients to ferment and there are more complex flavors.” I felt privileged to be even begin to understand a little bit about what she was talking about. This journey has been about decreasing processed food, decreasing the plastic in our lives, decreasing the salt, and increasing the vegetables and saving the planet. Likely the other recipes use less yeast which is the most expensive ingredient, and made me consider another recipe. But I am all too pleased to have delved into the great pizza dough debate. For now and for this time in my life, I am done. This is my pizza dough recipe. Bobbie Flay – you are it!

I’m not sure why I decided to make pizza dough yesterday. Cooking from scratch is such a creative endeavor, maybe that is why. Now I remember. I was cleaning out the pantry and I spied the bread flour I had bought a few weeks ago. The other flours are stored in airtight containers, but the King Arthur’s bread flour was in it’s original packaging. Mindful of our Biscuit Beetle infestation a few months ago, I knew I needed to use some up and store the rest in something more appropriate. I even forgot why I bought bread flour for the first time in the first place.

I cleaned our stand mixture which is a standrad red SunBeam mixture. It’s 6 years old and there is an entire backstory of a batch of St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookies I tried to make for my daughter’s first grade class that went wrong, and that cost me $300. Anyway, let’s just say the stand mixture is now a source of happiness and not youthful parental perceived failures. I cleaned off the stand mixer with my home-made beer vinegar. And then just followed Bobbie Flay’s Food Network Recipe.

Bobbie Flay’s Pizza Dough Recipe https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/pizza-dough-recipe-1921714

3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling

1 teaspoon sugar

1 envelope instant dry yeast

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

Instructions

1. Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
2. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/pizza-dough-recipe-1921714

The great thing about having your own pizza dough recipe is that you can individualize it. I added rosemary in the dough and it smelled really divine. The first pizza of the day, my daughter topped with our home-grown radishes and beet greens. For dinner, I used just a bit of bacon and red peppers. We used up the rest of our jarred tomato sauce. The portion size was perfect for our family of four and much less than what a frozen pizza from the supermarket would have been. Yet because each slice was lovingly home-made, just dinner was better especially paired with a salad. And that is it. We had pizza and salad with Bobbie Flay’s Pizza Dough recipe and ate more vegetables. Is that how we are going to save the world? Yes. Everyone needs to figure out their favorite pizza dough, and healthy pizza toppings. Home-made is best. Less plastic. Less salt. More veggies. And more time with family.